Counterbalance hinge assembly



y 7, 1965 w. c. BATES 3,196,482

COUNTERBALANCE HINGE ASSEMBLY Filed Feb. 21, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 27, 1965 w. c. BATES COUNTERBALANCE HINGE ASSEMBLY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 21, 1963 United States Patent 3,196,482 COUNTERBALANCE HKNGE ASSEMBLY Wayne (I. Bates, Rockford, IlL, assignor to National Lock Co., Rockford, ML, a corporation of Delaware Filed Feb. 21, 1963, Ser. No. 260,219 4 Claims. (Cl. 16-490) The present invention relates to a novel hinge assembly for the door of a cabinet or enclosure and more particularly to a counterbalance hinge assembly for commercial ranges and specifically for oven doors on a commercial oven or range and oven combination.

Among the objects of the present invention is the provision of a novel counterbalance hinge assembly which will retain a pivoted door or closure in either its open or ciosed position, with a spring-loaded assembly to pro vide the counterbalancing eiiect. The spring-loading is at a minimum when the door is closed and the hinge assembly tends to retain the door in closed position. The spring-loading approaches its maximum value as the door is pivoted toward its open position and reaches a maximum at the doors fully open position to provide a counterbalancing force which allows the door to remain in its open position.

Another object of the present invention is the pro vision of a novel counterbalance hinge assembly which has a toggle action upon the opening of the door attached to the hinge. A stop arm is connected at one end to the door to pivot therewith and is pivotally connected at its opposite end to a spring support assembly; said assembly being pivotally mounted at its opposite end to a mounting bracket secured to the frame or cabinet for the door. When the door is opened, the stop arm and spring support assembly act as a toggle which straightens moves to a straight line position when the door reaches its fully open position. The straight line position of the toggle tends to retain the door in open position.

The present invention further comprehends the provision of a yieldable spring support assembly in the counterbalancing hinge which shortens its length between the pivot points of the spring assembly as the door attached to the hinge is opened. The spring in the assembly is compressed to its maximum point when the door is fully opened and the toggle arrangement is moved to a straight line position where it does not have a moment force to either open or close the door and the weight of the door retains the door in the full open position.

the present assembly also comprehends the provision of a counterbalancing hinge assembly including a cabinet or enclosure with a pivotally mounted door, a mounting braciet secured to the cabinet or enclosure and having an adjustable stop member, a stop arm afiixed at one end to the pivot rod for the door to pivot therewith and adapted to cooperate with the adjustable stop means to limit movement of the door, and a spring assembly pivoted at one end to the free end of the stop arm and pivoted at its opposite end to the mounting bracket, the spring assembly including a pair of opposed spring retainers mounted for limited longitudinal movement relative to each other and a compression spring urging the spring retainers to their outermost positions.

Further objects are to provide a construction of maximum simplicity, efficiency, economy and ease of assembly and operation, and such further objects, advantages and capabilities as will later more fully appear and are inherently possessed thereby.

in the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of the counterbalance hinge assembly mounted upon the oven of a commercial range or stove and connected to the oven door with the spring assembly removed.

FiGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the hinge assembly taken on the line 22 of FIG. 1 with the door in closed position.

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view similar to that shown in FIG. 2, but with the oven door shown in its open position.

FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of the mounting brac L and spring unit for the hinge assembly.

hru. 5 is a top plan View of the mounting bracket shown in FIG. 4 Without the spring assembly.

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of the mounting bracket shown in F 18. 5

FIG. 7 is a front elevational view of a spring retainer.

FIG. 8 is an edge view of the stop arm.

HS. 9 is a front elevational view of the stop arm.

Referring in detail to the disclosure in the drawings in which is shown an illustrative embodiment of the present invention affixed to an oven door and frame of a commercial range, FIGS. 1 and 2 disclose an oven frame or enclosure to having a door 11 mounted for pivotal movement on a horizontal axis and a counterbalance hinge assembly 12 secured to the interior of a vertical member 13 in the oven enclosure. A pivot rod 1-:- extends horizontally through the door 11 adjacent the bottom thereof to act as a pivotal axis for the door moving between a vertical closed position (FIGS. 1 and 2) and a horizontal open position (FIG. 3).

The hinge assembly 12 includes a mounting bracket 15 having a base 16 enlarged at the lower end 17 and having a plurality of openings 3 for suitable securing means to afiix the bracket 15 to the vertical member 13. At the top of the base 16, a wing 19 extends rearwardly of the base and is laterally offset from the edge of the base. As seen in Fit]. 5, this upper wing 19 is stepped at 21 and tapers downwardly and rearwardly to a rounded end 22, (FIG. 6) having an opening 23 therein. A lower wing 24 is formed at the bottom of the base 16 and extends forwardly of the base and perpendicular thereto. As seen in FIG. 5, both wings are formed on the same edge of the base 16. This lower wing also tapers to a rounded portion 25 having an extruded opening 26 with the extruded portion 27 extending toward the edge of the door 11.

Above the rounded portion 25 is a generally rectangular portion 23 with a short tab 29 formed perpendicular to the wind 24 and parallel to but extending away from the base The tab has a generally centrally located to. threaded opening 31 adapted to receive an adjustment screw 32 with a lock nut 33 thereon for a purpose to be described later.

Mounted on said bracket 15 is a tog le action spring assembly 34 which acts to counterbalance the weight of the door 11 during opening or closing movement. A stop arm 35 has a rounded end 35 and an angularly arranged end 37 with the two ends slightly oifset due to a stepped portion 38 between the ends. The rounded end 36 has a square opening 39 adapted to receive the V 'tainer.

opening 41 for a rivet 42 to pivotally secure the arm to a spring retainer 44 infthe remainder of the spring assembly. A flat surface 43 is formed on this angularly disposed end 37 and cooperates with the screw 32 in the tab 29 to limit the opening movement of the door;

A pair of spring retainers 44, 44a are oppositely mounted in parallel sliding relation with their inner longitudinal surfaces contacting together. Each spring retainer 44 and 44a includes an enlargedhead 45' having a an opening 46 therein and an elongated body 47 with-an elongated iSlOt 48 adjacent the opposite end of the re- The enlarged head 45 has outwardly extending ears 49 at the juncture with the body 47 and a second opening 51 of relatively small diameter is located between the ears. Theseretainers 4-4, 44a are mounted with their elongated bodies 4'7 extending longitudinally Lthrough a compression spring 52 and in sliding parallel contact with the enlarged heads 45 at opposite ends of the assembly. Thus, the head 45 of the retainer 44 is pivotally mounted onto the angularly disposed end 37 of the stop arm with the rivet 42 extending through the opening 46. v V

The enlarged head 45 of the retainer 44a is pivotally mounted on the rounded end 22 of the upper wing 19 with a rivet 53 extending through the openings 23 and 4-6. At each end of the compression spring 52 is located a spring support 54 formed as a cup-shaped member to receive an end of the spring with the closed end of the cup having an opening to allow the spring retainers 44,

44a to extend therethrough. The opening 51 of theretainer 44a is aligned with the elongated slot 48 of the retainer 44, and likewise the opening 51 is aligned with the elongated slot 48. Apin 55 extends through the opening 51.and slot 48 and beyond the retainers'44, 44a to limit relative movement between the retainers.

With the door 11 in its vertical closed position contacting the oven enclosure, the hinge assembly 15 will be in its normal position with thetoggle arrangement formed by the stop arm and the spring retainers 44, 44a of the spring assembly 34 in the position shown in FIG. 2 and the compression spring in its expanded position. The spring will tend to retain the door in closed position as the weight of the door is not sufiicient to overcomethe force of the spring.

When the door is pivoted toward its open position, the square end rotates therewith relative to the mount ing bracketlS and causes rotation of the stop arm 35. The angularly disposed end 37 of the stop arm moves in an arcuate path and urges the spring retainer 44 upward to slide relative to the parallel spring retainer 44a and thus straighten the toggle joint. As the retainer44 is urged upward, theears 49 abut the spring support 54 to compress the spring 52. The retainer 44a pivots on the rivet 53 on the upper wing 19 of the bracket 15.' Compression of the spring continues until the toggle joint straightens and the fiat surface 43 on the stop arm 35 abuts the end of the adjustable screw 32 mounted inthe short tab 29. The door is in its fully open position and the weight of the door tends to hold the door in its open position. The straight line toggle under the influence of the compressed spring 51 does not have a moment force tending to either. open or close the door. The screw 32 may be adjusted to adjust the open position of the oven door or the position of the stop arm to provide a straight line toggle position. Although a straight line toggle position is shown, the screw 32 could be adjusted to provide,

the toggle arrangement in an over-center position to aid in holding the door in its open position.

Obviously, the rod 14 must pivot in an opening or mounting in the frame at the opposite side of the door or, if the door is very heavy, a second counterbalance hinge may be utilized on the opposite side of the door. Such a hinge would be a mirror image of the hinge shown in the drawings. 1 i

When the door is moved to its closed position, the operation of the hinge assembly is reversed to counterbalance the door until it reaches the closed position. Relative movement between the spring retainers 44,441: is enhanced by the use of a suitable'lubricant to promote sliding such as a silicon grease. Although the present invention has been shown and described as being advantageously applicable to an oven door for commercial ranges, it is not my desire or intent to unnecessarily limit the scope or the utility of the improved features by virtue of this illustrative embodiment. f

Having thus disclosed the invention, I claim:

1. A counterbalance hinge assembly for a door pivotally mounted in an enclosure, comprising a mounting bracket secured to the enclosure, an upper wing on said bracket and extending rearwardthereof, a lower wing on the bracket extending forwardly thereof and having an opening therein, a rod forming a pivotal axis for and secured adjacent the lower edge of the door to rotate therewith, a toggle action spring assembly including a stop arm having an angularly arranged end, said rod extending through the opening in the lower wing and secured to one end of thestop arm to cause the arm to rotate therewith, a spring assembly pivotally mounted at one end to said upper wing and pivotally mounted at the opposite end to the angularly arranged end of the stop arm, said spring. assembly including a pairof opposed relatively longitudinally slidable spring retainers, each retainer including an enlarged head for pivotally mounting the retainer and an elongated body, a spring support on each retaineradjacent the enlarged head, a compression spring surrounding the elongated bodies between and abutting the spring supports to normally urge the retainers outwardly and retain the door in closed position, a short tab on the lower wing and an adjusting screw in the tab and adapted to engage the angularly arranged end of the stop arm when the door is in fully open' position.

2. A counterbalancehinge assembly as set forth in claim 1, in which said door is pivoted between a vertical closed position and a horizontal open position and as said door is pivoted to its openposition, said stop arm is rotated to slide said springretainers inwardly'relative to each other and compress said spring until the toggle 'arrangernent is in a straight line'position with the weight of the door retaining thedoor in fully open position.

3. A counterbalance hinge assembly for a door pivotally mounted in an enclosure to swing between a vertical closed position and a horizontal open position, comprising a mounting bracket secured to the enclosure, a door mounted adjacent said bracket, a pivot rod extending through and secured to the door adjacent the lower edge thereof forming a pivotal axis for and rotating with said door, a lower wing extending forwardly from the bracket and, having an opening therein, said pivot rod extending through said opening in the lower wing, an'upper Wing at the top of'the bracket and extending rearwardly thereof, a' toggle action springassembly including a stop arm mounted at one end onto the end of the pivot rod to rotatetherewith and having an offset opposite end with an angularly arranged fiat abutment surface, a pair of opthe lower Wing and perpendicular thereto, and an adjusting screw mounted in the tab and adapted to abut the flat abutment surface of the stop arm when the door is moved to its open position and the stop arm is swung to an in-line position With said spring retainers, said spring being compressed and the Weight of the door retaining the door in open position.

4. A counterbalance hinge assembly as set forth in claim 3 in which each elongated body has an elongated slot therein, and at least one pin mounted in the enlarged head of one spring retainer and extending into the elongated slot in the body of the other spring retainer.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Jackson et a1. 16-490 X Burke 16-190 X Burke 16 190 Hosea 16-190 Morin a- 16-191 X 10 DONLEY J. STOCKING, Primary Examiner. 

1. A COUNTERBALANCE HINGE ASSEMBLY FOR A DOOR PIVOTALLY MOUNTED IN AN ENCLOSURE, COMPRISING A MOUNTING BRACKET SECURED TO THE ENCLOSURE, AN UPPER WING ON SAID BRACKET AND EXTENDING REARWARD THEREOF, LOWER WING ON THE BRACKET EXTENDING FORWARDLY THEREOF AND HAVING AN OPENING THEREIN, A ROD FORMING A PIVOTAL AXIS FOR AND SECURED ADJACENT THE LOWER EDGE OF THE DOOR TO ROTATE THEREWITH, A TOGGLE ACTION SPRING SASSEMBLY INCLUDING A STOP ARM HAVING AN ANGULARLY ARRANGED END, SAID ROD EXTENDING THROUGH THE OPENING IN THE LOWER WING AND SECURED TO ONE END OF THE STOP ARM TO CAUSE THE ARM TO ROTATE THEREWITH, A SPRING ASSEMBLY PIVOTALLY MOUNTED AT ONE END TO SAID UPPER WING AND PIVOTALLY MOUNTED AT THE OPPOSITE END TO THE ANGULARLY ARRANGED END OF THE STOP ARM, SAID SPRING ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A PAIR OF OPPOSED 